Alex Eala Stuns World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, Advances to Berlin Open Quarterfinals Alex Eala delivered a stunning upset by defeating world No. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina in the Berlin Open round of 16, securing her place in the quarterfinals. The 21-year-old Filipina’s victory, a 7-5, 6-4 triumph, marked her fifth win against a top-10 player and her second over a tournament’s second seed. This followed her earlier shock defeat of Iga Świątek in the 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals, further solidifying her reputation as a rising force in women’s tennis. The match, played at Steffi Graf Stadion on Friday morning in Philippine time, was a dramatic reversal of fortunes for Eala, who had previously lost to Rybakina in the round of 32 at the Italian Open. Rybakina, the Kazakh star, began strongly, breaking Eala’s serve in the fourth game and extending her lead to 4-1 in the first set. However, Eala’s resilience proved pivotal. Capitalizing on two double faults from Rybakina, the Filipina earned her first break of the match in the seventh game. She then sealed the set with a powerful service hold, highlighted by two aces, to level the score at 4-4. The set remained tightly contested, with both players holding serve through the next two games. Eala’s breakthrough came in the 11th game, where she secured another crucial break before enduring a tense final service game to clinch the first set after nearly an hour of intense play. The second set saw Eala take control early, capturing three consecutive games to establish a 3-1 lead. Rybakina, struggling to adapt, found herself under constant pressure from Eala’s relentless returns. The Filipina won 19 points off Rybakina’s second serves, more than double the Kazakh’s tally of nine.#alex_eala #iga_swiatek #elena_rybakina #berlin_open #stefi_graf_stadion
